In 2018, researchers from Columbia University in the U.S. showed for the first time that healthy older adults can generate just as many new brain cells as younger people.
They found that although older adults tend to have fewer, and less robust, blood vessels in the brain, they don’t necessarily lose their ability to grow new brain cells. Here are ways to sharpen your brain
Learn a new skill
Research shows that knowledge, whatever you decide to learn is very important. Most definitely learn a new skill like learning to play a musical instrument, say a talking drum, piano or any that you choose.
It doesn’t matter what the topic is, as long as it gets you out of your familiar mental rut and on a path to more knowledge and aptitudes.
Just grasp any opportunity to learn about a topic that has interested you recently or that you wish you had explored when you were a bit younger.
Find a sense of purpose
Having purpose is all about seeing your life as being deeply meaningful, setting goals to aim for and having a clear sense of direction.
Volunteer and help others
Find out ways you can volunteer regularly for a good cause in your locality.
Studies show that those who do so are far less likely to be blighted by anxiety, depression, loneliness and social isolation plus they benefit from having a great sense of purpose.
Learn a new language
According to studies, speaking two or more languages (even if you learned the second decades after the first) can slow age-related cognitive decline, and being bilingual can protect your brain if Alzheimer’s does strike.
Learn a song and sing it!
Singing is a great way to build cognitive reserve too.
That’s because if you want to sing a song, you must first retrieve the words and be able to say them. This complex process typically involves the left side of the brain.